Brainscape vs Anki

We recently noticed that one of our most popular Google search terms was “Brainscape vs Anki”. So, we figured we’d put together this handy guide for you to help you better understand all the ways in which Brainscape and Anki are different.

As you’ve likely seen yourself, Brainscape‘s web & mobile flashcards platform is a simpler, more modern, more user-friendly experience than Anki’s (still-impressive) open-source desktop software. But it may not have been immediately evident how Brainscape’s feature sets differ from Anki. Hope this helps!

Feature

Anki

Brainscape

Spaced Repetition

4-bucket leitner method; study is scheduled for exact days in the future

5-bucked Confidence-Based Repetition method; works at your own study pace

Content Organization

Little hierarchy; mostly individual sets that require a download

Full curriculum (i.e. “Subjects”) with multiple “Decks”; no download required

Content Source

User-generated content only

Both user-generated AND “Brainscape-certified” subjects (co-created with experts and publishers)

While Brainscape has a TON of respect for Anki and their groundbreaking advancements in the field of spaced repetition software, we hope you will check us out if you are looking for a simpler, more collaborative, cloud-based study experience with access to premium content.

Brainscape is a web & mobile education platform that
helps you learn anything faster, using cognitive science. Join the
millions of students, teachers, language learners, test-takers, and
corporate trainees who are doubling their learning results. Visit
brainscape.com or find us on the App Store
.

This chart is so misleading it might as well say that Brainscape enables you to fly under your own power.

You mention that the app includes decks with "no download required", but what does that even mean? In order to see the content, at some point it has to be downloaded. Just because you package them with the app or stream them from the web doesn't mean there's "no download required".

I'm so glad your app has "rich stats dashboards". All this time I've been stuck with just "data"!

Anki does have a web version. Not sure why you act like it doesn't exist.

You try to spin open source as a bad thing.

And most offensively of all, you say that Anki's mobile app is $25, while your service is "FREE". In reality, Anki can be used on desktop, the web, and Andriod devices for completely free. Not "kinda free", not "most of it is free", completely free. It's true that the iOS app is $25 dollars, but compare that to Brainscape. In order to do something as simple as studying offline (something I would consider an essential feature), Brainscape requires you to pay a subscription. It's only $3/mo (as you claim) if you pay $35 at once! Not only is that $10 more than Anki, you have to pay every year! To get a lifetime subscription, it costs $80, more than triple the cost of Anki. Charging ME a subscription to store MY flashcards on MY device is absolutely unforgivable.

It looks like Brainscape is a pretty decent product. Please try to advertise/manage it better.

Thanks for the comment. If this had been a good comparison, it should have mentioned a lot of what you said, and I don't think it would have hurt Brainscape's business, because people who use this kind of app aren't the type to be tricked, it just wastes their time, etc.

Just downloaded Anki. For people who want the basics that are "completely free" not "kinda free" I'd say Brainscape really wants your money, so they won't offer you it free.

1) Brainscape uses a Java required web based system to do flashcards. Its not adequate from a security perspective.

2) Brainscape needs a full blown offline app. It's just a website otherwise - irrespective of a five level response matrix.

3) it has a nice interface for learning but would dispute any claimed advantage over any other system of spaced repetition.

4) it has a clunky and poor folder system. It's ok for learning one type of information but not multiple.

5) No multifaceted cards option.

Basically - if youre seeking a professional application look elsewhere. Until they do a proper app that can have multiple facets and video / audio or whatever you need - it's just expensive marketing and amateur hour claims not backed up. Then and only then would the price point be justified.

Thanks for sending us your feedback, we appreciate it. :) I'm so sorry if you feel that our chart is misleading but I want to clarify some things you mentioned to clear up any confusion.

"no download required" -- as per the chart, this only applies to our web browser (www.brainscape.com). If you log into your account via the website, you no longer need to download anything to access your library. The app has to be downloaded to your device (iOS or Android). Anki requires (software) download unlike Brainscape which would work like any other social media channels that you can visit/access online.

FREE -- users can download the Main Brainscape App and use/access the Brainscape website for free. You can always create, study and share your own contents at no cost. You will only need to pay if you want to use our premium features or study our premium contents. Please visit our Market (https://www.brainscape.com/... to see all the certified subjects you can access once you subscribe. As for offline study, this feature is available to all pro and non pro users. You will need an internet connection to download or sync your contents in your device but once you downloaded everything, you can go ahead and study offline.

Again, I'm so sorry if you feel that our advertisement is misleading. Your feedback is important to us so thank you for writing! If you have any other questions or concerns, let us know.

I want to take a moment to apologize for saying that Brainscape could not be used offline for free. I was going off an old blog post in which you introduced the Pro featureset, but I can see that some of that information has changed. Sorry.

That said, you keep saying that Anki doesn't let you access your cards from the web. That's not true. There is a fully functional web version, just like Brainscape has.

Oh, and by the way, you say Anki has "No hierarchy", but it does in fact support subdecks.

Don't get me wrong, I don't exactly love Anki, it does stuff that infuriates me (like making extra decks that I have to delete later in order to study more than the prescribed amount) and it's UI is terrible. But I can't get past how slimy some of your marketing feels. As you essentially admit in the first paragraph, this page exists solely to lure people in from google by pretending to be a fair comparison between two similar services, and instead trick them with one-sided advertising claims and false comparisons. You repeatedly say that yours is the only "cloud-based" service, but Anki has a free cloud service. The difference is that theirs is optional, and Anki can instead be used locally without ever making an account if you prefer. That situation is objectively better.

Have you tried Repetitions? I like its interface much more than anki's. I was going to take Brainscape out for a spin, but a web based solution isn't exactly what I want, so I'm sticking with native offline apps (for desktop).

1) Brainscape uses a Java required web based system to do flashcards. Its not adequate from a security perspective.

2) Brainscape needs a full blown offline app. It's just a website otherwise - irrespective of a five level response matrix.

3) it has a nice interface for learning but would dispute any claimed advantage over any other system of spaced repetition.

4) it has a clunky and poor folder system. It's ok for learning one type of information but not multiple.

5) No multifaceted cards option.

Basically - if youre seeking a professional application look elsewhere. Until they do a proper app that can have multiple facets and video / audio or whatever you need - it's just expensive marketing and amateur hour claims not backed up. Then and only then would the price point be justified.

Would strongly suggest people look at these in order:1) Studies2) Flashcard Hero3) Anki

Brainscape is the world's best flashcard app, scientifically proven by to help you learn faster and remember longer. You can use Brainscape to find flashcards, make your own flashcards, or even just to have fun!